Can't turn back
by animecrazymad
Summary: Joey has done somthing bad so he runs away. On top of that he longs for a certain special some body. What has joey done? Who is he longing for?
1. Chapter 1

_**So here is the first chapter of can't turn back, this is my first fan fiction. Enjoy! **_

**DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN YU-GI-OH ALL DAT GUBBINS...**

Joey could feel his heart thudding in his chest, he could feel it so hard that he was sure it was about to tear itself out of him and break free. He peered over his back, to see the great blocks of downtown Domino city below him. Even though the buildings were all tall, Kaiba Corp towered above the rest, shadowing the blocks around it. Great wisps of grey cloud were forming around the pinnacle of the building. From his position on the hill, he could just about see the block of flats he'd been running from. All of a sudden, he thought of his friends, he couldn't leave them. Abruptly he corrected himself, "pull yourself together, Wheeler, you can't go back not for nobody or nothin', no way." He had gone too far already, part of him wanted to say good bye, but no, he had to keep running. He was already on the outskirts of Domino. His brain caught up with where he was. He knew this park; it was one of the roughest parts of Domino. He'd been in such a blind panic he'd run northwards, to the far northern outskirt, the worst area. Joey recalled the old gang days before Yugi had changed him, his old gang hung in the north. He remembered what those days had been like. He and Tristan and the gang had always been in trouble. He shivered; he should get going, he didn't want to run into any former friends.

He took in his surroundings, litter everywhere, a rancid smell hung in the air, some rusted swings, not that they would ever be used, no kids came here. The last thing he noticed properly in that park was the one that caught his eye and reminded him of the constant longing in the pit of his stomach.

His eyes flickered over a couple on a bench; they were talking and laughing passionately. They had something he wanted so badly... each other. He thought of _her. _Joey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He told himself not to think like that, he couldn't go all gooey now. Anyway what did it matter? Even when he wanted her so badly, he knew she didn't care. He flicked his long, blonde fringe into his eyes, to help hide the tears spilling down his cheeks from anyone who could be watching. After all, stealing somebody's soul is not what you call loving behaviour.

The wind picked up, Joey shuddered. He had no coat, just the clothes on his back. He felt a fat drop of rain wet his nose, a storm was coming. A street lamp flickered on. He shouldn't be here, not at nightfall, so quickly he power-walked out of the park gates and into the unknown.

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	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi again, this is chapter two of can't turn back. I would like to give a special thanks to ..XX my first ever reviewer and subscriber on **_**:-D **_**Enjoy! **_

The rain pelted down on Joey's skin. He was cold to the bone, famished, thirsty and his energy was fading fast, but what could he do? He couldn't turn back, he had no place he could call home any more. A jagged spike of white light pierced the belly of the sky. The ground shook under the thunderous roar. The wind batted his hair. This storm was pretty nasty, but he had no shelter. Joey decided he should find some sort of cover until the storm wore itself out. So quickly he ducked into a dank alley way. When he was there he slumped limply beside some old packing crates, sat on a grid from which there was a plume of steam radiating out - it stank, but it was his only means of warmth. He settled on the crates and, to redeem energy, went to sleep.

He had the same nightmare he had been having since he was ten. Until two years ago it had just featured his dad, but recently it had _her_. Every time it was the same. Joey was hanging on to the edge of a cliff. Far below him was a great ravine, with rugged rocks and swift rapids, if the fall didn't kill him, the rocks and rapids would. On top of the cliff were two figures, one he could see clearly. They had Joey's hair, Joey's Brooklyn accent, but the eyes were harsh and full of hatred - his dad. The other figure was in complete shadow. Joey screams at them to help him. His dad steps forward and spits, "You're a disgrace to the Wheeler name, forever failing in school and getting in trouble. You're the reason your mother and Serenity left, they dumped you with me because they couldn't handle a boy who already had a criminal record at the age of ten." Joey always wanted to retaliate, protest that maybe if his dad didn't drink their money, then he might not have reverted to stealing. This is a dream, though, so he has no control over it, as a result he stays silent. His dad continues, "This is pay back" and steps forward, and stomps on Joey's right hand. Joey yelps in pain and has to let go. Rubble falls from where his hand was previously, he doesn't hear the stones drop into the water below until about ten seconds later, showing how high he must be.

Then the shadow on the left steps forwards, it's _her_ - even in his dreams he daren't say _her_ name. Joey pleads, "Please, you gotta help me!" She doesn't speak. She places a foot on his hand. Her eyes are hostile, showing no real emotion. She adds pressure. Joey gives one more gasp of pain then he is falling, hurtling into the chasm below. He always wakes up before he gets to the bottom.

The storm had blown over, Joey woke up rasping and sweating. He thought about _her,_ how he couldn't say her name. It was as if the whole situation was almost like a scab. You leave it and you're fine, you start picking at it and the pain comes flooding back. The problem was he couldn't leave it. He needed distractions. So he diverted himself to think about how he would survive. He wondered out of the alley as he did so. He didn't know where he was, but it was worse than Northern Domino. Boarded up houses loomed everywhere with shabby doors and broken windows. Run down businesses scattered around. Rubbish swirled at Joey's feet like autumn leaves. The streets were deserted.

Suddenly an ear-splitting scream scratched through Joey's train of thought. He trusted his instincts and followed it down another alley. He saw a blonde haired woman being clenched by the wrist, by a huge muscular man. "HEY! GET OFF HER!" Joey yelled. Both turned to face him. He looked at the woman. Platinum blonde hair down to her waist, violet eyes brash and vivid. She was no stranger. Joey felt as shattered as this town's windows.

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	3. Chapter 3

_**HI AGAIN I AM SO SORRY IT IS THIS LATE IT TOOK FOREVER TO LOAD NEVERTHELESS ENJOY! **_**:-D**

_**DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN YUGIOH WHATEVER...**_

Joey was so shocked to see the face that was all too familiar and dear to him that he didn't see the devastating blow coming his way. The hit connected with him full on in the jaw; Joey felt pain shoot up his face, but there was no time to think of that. Joey was good at fighting, but he didn't stand a chance against somebody who was capable of such agony. He needed a plan, and fast. The fist was heading his way again. Joey ducked down, as he did so he threw his leg out and did a three hundred and sixty degree turn. This resulted in the man's broad legs being jerked from beneath him. "Joey!" Mai exclaimed,"what are you doing here?", a look of both surprise and guilt plastered on her beautiful face. The face he'd both longed and dreaded for.

"Never mind dat - RUN! Dat won't keep him down long!" Joey replied firmly. They both ran as fast as their legs could carry them for as long as possible. All the run-down streets looked similar to the next but Mai seemed to know where she was going. Joey decided to follow her as he had nowhere else to go. She eventually slowed by a block of flats with moss and mould growing on the cracked bricks.

"I think we lost him." She gasped breathlessly. She turned her attention to Joey, staring at him awkwardly, not knowing what to say, what to do. Joey thoughts buzzed inside his head, like a swarm of angry bees bursting to get out. _I've been thinking of dis for so long, now it's happening I don't know what to say. I've got her back so say somethin', Wheeler! _ The dark memories and bitterness of betrayal prevented Joey from saying a word. Anyway, he had a suspicion it would hurt to talk with his injured jaw.

Mai's emotions shifted to worry. She told him softly "It must be painful to speak; he gave you quite a blow. Your mouth is bleeding." Joey dabbed at his lips and winced; when he pulled his hand away, it was a scarlet colour, the tell tale sign of blood. "Here, you need that mouth taken care of", she said smoothly, caressing his cheek. He flinched again. "Sorry, I just need to see the damage that monster did to you." Inside Joey's mind he was at war, she had betrayed him, been the baroness of his nightmares. Despite that, he was letting her act as if nothing had happened. How could he do this? Regardless of his thoughts, he let her continue. "C'mon, I'll take you inside to talk, to see to that mouth. You're shivering away." For reasons unbeknownst to Joey, he let himself be led across the forecourt and into the flats.

For the whole way to Mai's apartment, no words were exchanged. When she finally opened the door, the uncomfortable atmosphere was killing them both. Mai steered Joey to a plain, dull kitchen while she put the kettle on and dabbed at the cut on his lips with a wet tissue. "You'll live, Wheeler. Go through to the living room. How do you take your coffee?"

"Black, no sugar." he babbled. Joey didn't know what to do, so he followed her orders and as a result, went across to the living room. After a while, Mai followed and sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Mai finally said something

"Joey, I am so sorry. What I did to you must have felt awful, I know. I am so sorry, please forgive me." Guilty tears streamed down her white cheeks. Joey said nothing. He felt like he was about to split into a million pieces. He was being torn between himself, his dad and Mai. What should he do for the best?

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	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi, I'm back again with the next instalment of "Can't Turn Back" - as usual, hope you enjoy...**_

Joey inhaled deeply and began: "Mai, before I make any decision to forgive you, I must know one thing. Da question that has been on my mind since you sided with Valon and gave my soul to Dartz - why did you do dat? Why, Mai?" Joey's face was serious and confused. Mai's brow furrowed at the awkwardness of that question - she had feared he would ask her that. She sighed and started to explain, "Joey, I was manipulated by Valon to think that it was your all your fault - of course, it wasn't, it was my own self centred needs. I was led to believe that I was always in yours, Yugi's and Kaiba's shadow, and somehow I blamed you so I didn't have to blame myself. But I am sorry, I regretted it as soon as it happened. I felt awful holding your body as you lost your soul, I practically cheated. It was an unfair game, you were really weakened after you last duel against Valon, especially since you used yourself at one point. You did all that for me yet I threw it straight back in your face, how could I? Please forgive me".

A reassuring smile spread across Joey's face. "Mai, everybody makes mistakes - I should know, I've made so many big mistakes personally, I couldn't count dem on two hands." His expression changed to guilt. "To tell the truth, dats why I am here now - another screw up."

"Oh, that didn't sound good. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can sort it out."

Joey said with a melancholic air, "No, dis time I really went too far."

"Tell me and I might have a solution."

Joey tried to suppress a guilt ridden lump in his throat, "Well, I have lived wid my dad for ages since I was ten, when he and my mum broke up. My Mom took my sister Serenity, and I lived with my dad. Soon after, my dad started to blame me - he was always angry with somthin', mostly with me. He thought it was my slip-up, because I was always getting into fights and shopliftin'. The thing is I did it because he drank our money all the time so there was no other option, food has to come from somewhere. So as a result of dat, I had a criminal record before I was eleven, he thought I did that because of me, not him. He said dat was why mom left, me, apparently I was too much for her. He started using me as his personal punch bag, calling me names, making me feel like dirt." Joey paused, the tears running down his face, "so I lost it - I felt I should show him what it was like." Joey's voice cracked. "The police are now looking for me; I'm the prime suspect as a result..."

"You ran away," finished Mai, "but Joey, you could go home with me - I'll be there, explain to the police, they are more understanding than you would think."

"No, remember I already have a whole cloud of criminal offences hanging over me, I'm sure to go down, I can't turn back."

"Joey, I will help you when you are ready."

"Thanks Mai" he said softly. He looked at her intently, and Mai could practically feel herself melt under his gaze. Her violet eyes locked onto his brown eyes, the colour of melted chocolate; he gently tilted her chin upwards and kissed her lips tenderly, his slightly cracked lips against her flawless lips. Joey wanted to stay this way forever, he felt on top of the world, and from the way Mai was returning the kiss he was sure she felt the same. After what felt like a sweet eternity, they slowly pulled away...

_**Please review**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter five of can't turn back is here... hope you enjoy it.**_

_**DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN YUGIOH OR ANY CHARACTERS ASSOCIATED...**_

Joey awoke to find what he had hoped for, last night wasn't a dream, and his arms were still wrapped around Mai's slim waist. For the first time, he took in the living room where they had fell into a deep sleep. The vibrant violet walls reminded him of the eyes he had gazed into, the complex eyes that told so many stories yet still concealed many secrets. He wanted to stay like this and never think of the past; the past was a cold, hostile place. He inhaled deeply, allowing the poignant scent of jasmine perfume drift towards him like mist. Mai began to stir, and awoke. "Morning, Joseph." A cheeky grin spread across her face. For once, Joey didn't mind her calling him Joseph; for once it didn't irritate him.

"Mornin'" he replied chirpily.

"Today we have to go see somebody, a friend of mine, she's not well, some sort of virus. Hope that's ok."

"Yeah, dats fine, a friend of yours is a friend of mine."

They had breakfast, and got dressed, and set out of the ramshackle block of flats together. As they progressed, Joey noticed Mai began to get edgier and edgier.

"You alright, Mai?" Joey inquired, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, fine, just I've lived round here long enough to know it's a little dodgy, so I was just watching our backs," she said evasively.

All of a sudden Joey got his bearings and realised where he was, they were heading towards north Domino. Joey's heart twisted fearfully in his chest, "Mai! What are we doin' here?"

"Don't worry, we won't actually go to Domino, she lives down here in one of the flats down this back alley." Mai dodged shiftily. Joey was getting suspicious, who was this "friend"? Why did Mai not say that they lived so close to domino? They turned down an alley shrouded in darkness, a lot like the one he slept in the night before he found Mai. A rough hand burst through Joey's thoughts, he let out a shocked gasp, but that was all he could manage as the hand was now clamped to his mouth, preventing him from letting out a yell. A muscular arm snaked around him, pinning his arms and legs together and cutting off any efforts to try and flee.

"FINALLY, WHEELER, I HAVE YOU RIGHT WHERE I WANT YOU!" He paused as Joey tried to bite his hand, but the offender was too quick - he tightened his grip so much it was impossible for Joey to move his jaw. "I SEE YOU MET MAI, MY GIRLFRIEND!" Joey knew that voice - it was the cold harsh voice of Hirutani, the guy in charge of Joey's past gang. Joey's heart plummeted like the Titanic. His blood ran cold. Mai had done it again, she had betrayed him again.

_**Will Mai sort this mess out or was the night before all just an act? Find out in the next chapter.**_

_**PLEASE REVEIW. **_


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